1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to archery bows and, in particular, to devices for mounting accessories, such as front stabilizers, to archery bows.
2. Description of the Related Art
An archer's bow must be properly balanced to ensure an accurate shot. If the bow is not properly balanced, the arrow shot will not be true because various forces will cause the bow to pull to one side or another, or cause the bow to lift up or pull down. All this, can affect the accuracy of the archer's shot.
Typically, an archer will add or mount various items to the bow. Such items include, for example, bow sights, arrow quivers, and stabilizers. These items change the balance of the bow, and may affect the accuracy of the archer's shot. To counteract the weight of the attachments to the bow and to increase stability during shooting, one or more stabilizers with a counter-balancing weight can be attached to the bow.
Stabilizers generally comprise a mass that is capable of moving to reduce noise and vibration that occurs upon release of the bow string. The movement of the mass is typically opposed by a spring means and/or a viscous damping force. The stabilizer typically has a threaded end screwed to the front side of a bow riser, and extends in approximately the same direction as that in which an arrow is propelled from the bow.
Additional rear mounted stabilizers are sometimes attached to the bow to extend in a rearward direction to provide additional counter-balancing and stabilizing for the bow. An example of a bow equipped with both a front stabilizer and a pair of rear stabilizers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,407 (Gasser).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,123 (Wirtz), U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,977 (Thomas) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,981 (Breedlove) disclose elbow assemblies used to allow a front-mounted stabilizer to pivot away from its normal position to reduce snagging in the field and to provide a more compact arrangement when transporting the bow. These elbow assemblies also allow the stabilizer to be selectively locked into its normal forward extending position. However, conventional elbow assemblies do not allow the stabilizer to be positioned at any desired angle (up and down, and side to side) to accurately balance the bow.
There is a need for an improved device for mounting accessories, such as stabilizers, to archery bows to provide a better range of adjustment to more accurately balance and stabilize the bow.